I STILL think fondly about my enjoyable trip to Guatemala and El Salvador. I think not so much about the places that I visited but the warm encounters that I had with the people there. I remember the times that I sat at dinner table with some families and friends and engaged in joyous conversations…
Agent dispels bankruptcy rumors LOS ANGELES – The US-based real estate agent for Manny Pacquiao quelled rumors of the superstar boxer being in a state of financial ruin. He said the Filipino superstar and Sarangani Congressman is not bankrupt. Nick Enciso Jr. of Century 21 Classic Estate in Cerritos told the Asian Journal that Pacquiao selling his…
LOS ANGELES – JC De Vera, a first-generation Fil-Am, had very little idea of how to navigate through the professional world after graduating from college. His parents were migrants workers who did not get to attend college in the US. The information and resources that he needed during this transition period were not readily available…
LOS ANGELES – August 28, 2013 marked the 50th anniversary of Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.’s “I Have A Dream” speech. On that day, President Barack Obama spoke to a great congregation of people ,who flocked to the steps of the Lincoln Memorial, to commemorate the iconic event. Obama urged his fellow Americans of all…
It was of paramount significance when Philippine Fiesta in America, now simply tagged Fiesta in America, added another feather to its already feathery cap when it hosted an appreciation party last August 27 following the highly successful celebration of its annual event last August 17 and 18 at the Meadowlands Convention Center in Secaucus, New…
It was of paramount significance when Philippine Fiesta in America, now simply tagged Fiesta in America, added another feather to its already feathery cap when it hosted an appreciation party last August 27 following the highly successful celebration of its annual event last August 17 and 18 at the Meadowlands Convention Center in Secaucus, New…
JERICHO Vibar Rosales, fondly called “Echo” by his family, friends and fans, will celebrate his 34th birthday on Sunday, September 22 with his fiancee Kim Jones. Other prominent personalities celebrating their birthdays are: September 1 – Singer-actor Ariel Rivera, senior tax specialist Myrna Diaz Cabrera, Batanguenos of Northern California leader Rudy Manalo, former Mutya ng…
Roberto and Rosalie arrived in the United States in June 2012 through the petition of their only son Carlos, who is in the military. They have a comfortable life in the Philippines owning several fish ponds and rice lands in Bataan. They did not really want to migrate, but Carlos was insistent, especially after the…
Most people immigrate to the US in order to make a better life and future for their children. Therefore, it surprises me when some people take such risks and chances in connection with their children’s immigration situation. Even though the parent may have had the opportunity to bring their child to the US long ago,…
Can diet and exercise prevent diabetes? While diabetes is hereditary, clinical studies around the world have proven beyond doubt that type 2 diabetes can be prevented by diet and daily exercise alone. It is not true that children with one, or even both parents being diabetics, are doomed to be diabetics. Yes, their risk to…
Couples glide across the dance floor, where intermittent strobe lights flash that perceptual vision. It makes the dancers seem like their hovering magically in the air, through technological novelty. They were guided only by the hypnotic, sometimes intensely raucous rhythm of cha-cha or salsa, the hip-swaying mambo, the electrical passion of swing and the once…
IF YOU are searching for debt reduction solutions, no doubt you’ve been inundated with advertisements for various debt management programs, companies and solutions. The choices seem confusing to the average consumer. The truth is that every situation is different and what may work perfectly for others is not necessarily going to work the same way…
ALTHOUGH attorneys take an oath upon admission to the bar to zealously advocate on behalf of their clients, I have heard an overwhelming number of stories in which potential clients depict their attorneys’ actions and statements in meetings as completely adverse to their cause. Instead of listening with empathy and compassion to a prospective client’s…
Recently, the country was once again hit by a calamity. Typhoon Trami, officially named as Maring in the Philippines, was intensified by the southwest monsoon (habagat). The typhoon paralyzed the metropolis, drenched its nearby provinces, destroyed a highway, left damages in crop production, and wiped the homes of many Filipinos. But just like last year’s…
It was during the presidency of Ronald Reagan that “deniability” became a buzz word in international media. The US Congress attempted to hold Reagan directly accountable for the Iran-Contra scandal, an under-the-table arms-for-hostage deal between the US and Iran, coursed through Israel, that involved a diversion of funds – also under-the-table – for the Contra…
INA 204(c) bars the approval of a subsequent immigrant petition for an alien who had tried to obtain benefits under a first petition which was based on a fraudulent marriage. If during the processing of the subsequent petition, the first husband told USCIS that his marriage to the alien was fraudulent may USCIS deny the…
The celebration of “Buwan ng Wikang Pambansa (National Language Month)” is ongoing for the whole month of August, with the theme, “Wika natin ang tuwid na daan.” (Our language is the straight path). The Commission on the Filipino Language, in cooperation with the Department of Education, will spearhead the celebration which aims to encourage various government…
“ENOUGH with politicians pocketing people’s taxes, while the rest of the country are suffering from the devastation of the floods,” Los Angeles- based Fil-Am community leader Art Garcia said in a press statement, voicing out the sentiments of many Filipinos all over the world about another scandal, which has rocked our kababayans’ confidence in public officials….
THREE days before the scheduled ‘A Million People’s March’ of protest in Luneta [which calls for the abolition of the Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF), more popularly known as “the pork barrel”] and solidarity rallies in key cities in the Philippines and the United States, President Benigno S. Aquino III finally decided that it was…
Ultramarathoner Ben Gaetos Even the wind felt like a flamethrower was going through your face, he said. Despite the extreme circumstances, the 56-year-old, Manila born Gaetos finished “the world’s toughest foot race,” the Badwater 135 Ultramarathon last month, in 44 hours and 8 minutes. Gaetos, an Eagle Rock resident, said he’s the first Filipino to…
GOLIATH was a Philistine giant who was 9 feet tall. The Philistine army had gathered for war against Israel. The two armies faced each other. Israel’s army was led by King Saul who was Israel’s first king but his life turned to tragedy because he did not trust God, my God, the God of Moses…
LET’S discuss reasons why you should consider filing, even you are not required to: 1. You expect a refund. You have credits that can generate a refund – from taxes withheld from your paycheck, estimated tax payments, or a prior-year overpayments applied to this year. 2. You may qualify for Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC)…
Q. I AM thinking of filing a wage claim against my former employer for unpaid overtime hours and breaks I was not provided. Some of my fellow employees, who suffered as I did, wanted to file with me but they are afraid. They think if they complain, they’ll be fired. I understand their fears and…
THE new rules to streamline the mortgage application process might come into effect after this summer. By the end of August, regulators will release a “softer” version of rules overseeing how banks finance mortgages. The Dodd-Frank financial reform bill tasked regulators with writing rules that would force Wall Street to keep some skin in the…
IT WAS eight o’clock on a quiet night in the municipality of Izalco in Sonsonate, El Salvador. The parish priest, Padre Napo and his vicar, Padre Jorge, invited me to come to a meeting with members of their parish pastoral council. I didn’t know what to expect with this encounter. All I knew was that…
LOS ANGELES – Justice for Filipino American Veterans (JFAV) spokesman Art Garcia for years stood side-by-side with former congressman Bob Filner, fighting for equity for Filipino World War II veterans. Filner had a once sterling reputation as a champion of civil rights and proponent for Filipino veterans seeking veteran benefits. Now, seeing the 70-year-old Filner…
Just like any holiday or traditional event, the fiesta brings forth a festive atmosphere and a nostalgic longing for every bit of sentimental things back home. Fiesta in America diminishes, if not totally eradicates, that lingering homesickness with the enormous influx of talents, exhibitors of native and home-made food products, and related items all gathered…
Just like any holiday or traditional event, the fiesta brings forth a festive atmosphere and a nostalgic longing for every bit of sentimental things back home. Fiesta in America diminishes, if not totally eradicates, that lingering homesickness with the enormous influx of talents, exhibitors of native and home-made food products, and related items all gathered…
When the green card holder naturalizes, the F-2A petition automatically converts from F-2A (spouse/minor child of green card holder) to “immediate relative” (spouse/parent/child of US citizen). Petitions by US citizens of immediate relatives (spouse, minor child, parents) allow only one beneficiary per petition. Dear Atty. Gurfinkel: While I was still an immigrant, I filed…
HEAVY favorite Megan Lynn Young from Olongapo City bested 24 other candidates in the 2013 Miss World Philippines pageant last August 18 at the Solaire Resort and Casino in Pasay City. She took home the coveted title, P1 million worth of management contract from the pageant organizer, plus gifts and services from the contest’s sponsors….
